The Science of Chinese Buddhism

Early Twentieth-Century Engagements

Nonfiction, History, Asian, China, Religion & Spirituality, Eastern Religions, Buddhism, Philosophy
Cover of the book The Science of Chinese Buddhism by Erik J. Hammerstrom, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Erik J. Hammerstrom ISBN: 9780231539586
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: August 11, 2015
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Erik J. Hammerstrom
ISBN: 9780231539586
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: August 11, 2015
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

Kexue, or science, captured the Chinese imagination in the early twentieth century, promising new knowledge about the world and a dynamic path to prosperity. Chinese Buddhists embraced scientific language and ideas to carve out a place for their religion within a rapidly modernizing society.

Examining dozens of previously unstudied writings from the Chinese Buddhist press, this book maps Buddhists' efforts to rethink their traditions through science in the initial decades of the twentieth century. Buddhists believed science offered an exciting, alternative route to knowledge grounded in empirical thought, much like their own. They encouraged young scholars to study subatomic and relativistic physics while still maintaining Buddhism's vital illumination of human nature and its crucial support of an ethical system rooted in radical egalitarianism. Showcasing the rich and progressive steps Chinese religious scholars took in adapting to science's rising authority, this volume offers a key perspective on how a major Eastern power transitioned to modernity in the twentieth century and how its intellectuals anticipated many of the ideas debated by scholars of science and Buddhism today.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Kexue, or science, captured the Chinese imagination in the early twentieth century, promising new knowledge about the world and a dynamic path to prosperity. Chinese Buddhists embraced scientific language and ideas to carve out a place for their religion within a rapidly modernizing society.

Examining dozens of previously unstudied writings from the Chinese Buddhist press, this book maps Buddhists' efforts to rethink their traditions through science in the initial decades of the twentieth century. Buddhists believed science offered an exciting, alternative route to knowledge grounded in empirical thought, much like their own. They encouraged young scholars to study subatomic and relativistic physics while still maintaining Buddhism's vital illumination of human nature and its crucial support of an ethical system rooted in radical egalitarianism. Showcasing the rich and progressive steps Chinese religious scholars took in adapting to science's rising authority, this volume offers a key perspective on how a major Eastern power transitioned to modernity in the twentieth century and how its intellectuals anticipated many of the ideas debated by scholars of science and Buddhism today.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book The Rey Chow Reader by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book The Digital Transformation Playbook by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book Let the Meatballs Rest by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book The Death of the Animal by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book The Traveler's Guide to Space by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book Kinship with Monkeys by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book An Introduction to Daoist Philosophies by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book The Naqab Bedouins by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book Marriage as a Fine Art by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book The Dawn That Never Comes by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book The Huainanzi by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book Theory's Empire by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book Pandora’s Risk by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book Extraordinary Bodies by Erik J. Hammerstrom
Cover of the book The End of Progress by Erik J. Hammerstrom
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy